In Honor of Trey Pennington: Share Love NOW!

Tears are falling this morning for the tragic loss of our friend, Trey Pennington. Trey and I met years ago on line and I could always count on him for friendship, advice and support. With more than 100,000 Twitter followers and nearly 5000 friends on FaceBook, Trey was alone last night as he took his own life, outside of his church.
He was a successful husband, father and businessman, but dealt with depression for some time. Those of us who knew Trey, even just online, loved him. But it wasn’t enough to prevent this tragedy from happening.

I was a friend, yet I didn’t know that he needed help.

The loss of Trey makes me wonder how many other people are struggling, and are embarrassed or afraid to reach out for help.

It’s a reminder to me to take the time to be there for those I love, and for those in need. It’s a wake up call for all of us- to be there for one another, and to love one another.

Life is short, and in some cases, way too short. If you’re depressed or need help, please reach out to a friend or to the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255. There are caring individuals to help and who care. YOU MATTER!

Trey’s last tweet shared love with the community that surrounded him, yet wasn’t there for him in his time of need. Shortly after this tweet he ended his life.In honor of Trey and to prevent a needless tragedy from happening again, please make a difference today by reaching out in person, by phone or even online to share love with someone in need. Share how much their being here on this planet matters to you personally. We all have problems and troubles that sometimes get us down.

Knowing that we’re not alone and that others care can make a big difference- sometimes, the difference of life and death.

Not sure who to send love to? If you search the term “need a hug” on Twitter, you’ll find many folks tweeting every minute, looking for love and acknowledgment that they matter and that someone cares.

Go send five hugs to strangers, because your kindness will make a difference. Then, take that sentiment with you today and share love where you go.

Our prayers go out to Trey’s family today as the world grieves the loss of this bright light.

Today is the perfect time to share love. Share a hug. Be the friend that you want others to be for you. Don’t assume that someone knows how you feel- tell them now, before it’s too late.

Last, know that YOU matter. Although we may only be connected via this post, I care about you. InspireMeToday.com is here to help in any way that we can, so please reach out and let us know how we can be of service to you. Your being here is a gift to this world.

Gail Lynne Goodwin is the founder of InspireMeToday.com, bringing the best inspiration to the world. InspireMeToday.com provides free inspiration, each day from a new Inspirational Luminary, to a global community of folks from over 150 countries. Gail has interviewed many well-known names including Sir Richard Branson, Guy Laliberte, Seth Godin, Tony Hseih, Gary Vaynerchuk, Michael Gerber, Marci Shimoff, Jack Canfield and hundreds more. According to Mashable, Gail was one of 2009's Top 25 Most Inspirational People on Twitter.

Prior to InspireMeToday.com, Gail spent several years as manager for her recording artist daughter, Carly. As a result of the success of their co-penned song, "Baby Come Back Home", Gail accompanied her daughter to bases in the US and to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba where Carly performed for our troops. Gail and Carly created the 'World's Longest Letter' of love and support and delivered the 18-mile long scroll on a month-long tour of Iraq and the Persian Gulf in 2006.

Gail is excited to present her latest course, Love in 21 Days, a step-by-step guide to finding love online. Love in 21 Days is founded on a logical process that has been tested - and proven! - by not only Gail, but also by students around the world who too have found love.

Gail is a published author and a regular writer for the Huffington Post. She offers mentoring and mastermind services to clients worldwide from her home in Whitefish, Montana. Follow Gail on Twitter or Google+.

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Depression is a despicable illness. It robs people of the ability to feel anything but isolation and despair. The real tragedy illustrated in Trey Pennington’s death is the wall that his depression had created prevented his feeling the love and appreciation of his thousands of followers and friends in social media and, I’m sure, in his community … even his own family. That love could have been his lifeline, but he most likely couldn’t sense it, see it or feel it because of his illness. No one will ever know exactly what ultimately drove Trey to that point of “no way out” desperation that caused him to end his own life. But, in his memory, it will never hurt to reach out to those you love … and show kindness to strangers passed on a busy street with a simple smile. You may never know if it saves a life, but considering what Trey had to battle, it’s always worth a try.